A la carte cable television
A la carte cable television (from the French à la carte, "from the menu") refers to a model for cable companies to allow subscribers to select to which television channels, pay tv, specialty channels they would like to have access. This is in opposition to the large package deals currently prevalent in American cable deals, which often result in consumers paying for additional channels irrelevant to their interests.
While à la carte cable is not a major function of U.S. cable deals, the idea has been a major subject of debate. In a 2006 USA Today article, Kevin Martin, then chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), stated his position in support of users choosing their channels. However, leading companies such as Disney, and cable providers such as Time Warner Cable prohibit operators from selling channels which stand alone.[1]
Martin presented a report to Congress showing a potential increase in consumer savings of 13%, and with cable prices rising from 2% to 6% a year. The issue has risen in profile, and will continue to be considered.[2]
The issue for many consummers is not the price but the freedom to choose between the good and the bad, between the decent content and the unacceptable content. The industry stands united to not allow the consumer this choice.
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